Spiegel's Vixen
by KusanagiGITS99
Summary: A pregnant Faye must deal with the reality that Spike, the father of her child, is no longer around...how will this turn out for everyone?


Spike and Faye fanfiction

Life on the Bebop was very different for a certain woman and her ship comrades. There is Jet, an older "father figure" type, a young girl hacker named Ed, as well as a clever Corgi, commonly referred to as…Ein. One could say that this Bebop ship was a type of safe-haven for such a "dysfunctional, yet fully functioning" family. Unfortunately, there was one member of the crew that was no longer with them anymore. The notorious, laid-back Cowboy named Spike Spiegel. After he left to fight the syndicate, he never really did make it back alive. His loss, for the Bebop crew, was very difficult, but it was especially difficult for that certain woman mentioned earlier. Her name is Faye Valentine, and she had grown particularly close to the fallen Cowboy. It was on more than one occasion that the two had become almost inseparable, and had been referred to as the perfect duo. Spike had been the silent type that rarely expressed his true feelings to anyone. He was a man of few words, and when he had shown any type of affection or shared his thoughts, those were the rarest of instances. After Julia, his past lover, he hadn't been comfortable with opening-up to any other woman. Faye was the only woman he had allowed into his complicated mind, and the only woman he had decided was worth his effort to build anything with. Faye Valentine, the once notorious flirt and a woman who had a reputation as being "dangerous in more than one way," had been the only woman in which Spike had begun to fancy. She could keep up with his crazy antics, which impressed him beyond belief. She was feisty, outspoken, sometimes a real bitch, but she had the biggest heart and kindest soul that Spike had ever encountered in all the galaxy. Before Spike's death, the two made love on countless occasions and frequently. Sometimes in their room, other times they had been surprised themselves as to where it would happen next. For the two, just being intimate both physically as well as emotionally, had become a ritual and almost a type of addiction, because both lovers had found that the empty voids in their hearts were filled by the other. The Bebop crew had even gotten used to the idea of the two being together, and it had become common knowledge that the two were lovers. Alas, life on the Bebop had changed after the Cowboy's death. His room was now dark and empty, yet nothing was moved or changed by any of the crew. They hadn't wanted to erase his memory, and so they left his room untouched. The only visitor to his room was Faye at this point, and when she did, everyone understood her need to visit…her need to be close to him in any way still, and so they left her to her thoughts in his room. In the end, she would be the only one tidying his room for now on. No more would Jet be asked about his Bell Peppers and Beef, or see the Cowboy sitting outside contemplating life while enjoying a good smoke. Often, that task was done with his woman by his side. Yes indeed, life on the Bebop just wasn't the same anymore. Spike may have passed on and his life may have ended, but his lineage wouldn't be ending so easily. It had been 3 months since Spike's death, and Faye Valentine just hadn't been feeling very well. Many mornings she kept waking up to a stomach that just couldn't stomach much, regardless of what she ate (from water to crackers to regular food).

"Damn…when will this end?" Faye thought to herself. She had just finished in the restroom with her new morning ritual…face down… kissing the toilet bowl. She had decided that a bath and warm water might calm her nervous stomach, but something was telling her it wasn't just a bug she had gotten or that she was anxious or sad over Spike's death. Granted, the reality that he was no longer with her was hard to stomach, but this simply felt different. Faye, emotionally, was numb and still in shock from the ordeal. She was surprised that his passing was taking such a toll on her mind, since she had originally been used to such painful feelings and experiences in the past. She had grown used to the notion that she was unlovable. Spike, though, had shown her that he needed her as much as she needed him. They had meshed so well, and she had even wanted to marry him someday. Faye Valentine, the legendary bounty hunting babe, married?! Anyone who had known her would have laughed at the notion. Even Faye had found it hard to believe that marriage was something she could have envisioned with the Cowboy. Unfortunately, she was now alone again and trying to adjust to the empty side of the bed at night, as well as a newfound life without him. Life without his strong arms around her and his gentle kisses. Feeling tears welling up in her eyes as the moments passed, Faye didn't want to think much more about the issue anymore, and so she just decided to try to relax her mind and body in the lavender scented bath instead. She needed a distraction right now more than anything. Boy, was she in for a surprise.

Jet, being the Bebop "chef," as Spike had coined him to be, had been preparing breakfast for the remaining crew. Today's breakfast was a simple one: Eggs, toast, coffee, water, and bacon.

The older man had been noticing that Faye had been acting differently lately. Her eating habits had changed a bit, and she was more prone to becoming drowsy. It would sometimes affect her bounty hunts, in which Jet would tell her she should take it easy and relax at the ship. She would try to argue against it at first, but then her lethargy would take over, and she would succumb to the warmth of her bed. Being around many women in his lifetime, in different stages of their lives, he had become somewhat aware of the changes that women went through (menstrual cycle, becoming new lovers and acting different after intimacy with a new partner, as well as another certain experience that women had…pregnancy). Jet had his suspicions about Faye possibly being pregnant, but he didn't want to bring it up, especially since she was still freshly dealing with the loss of Spike. It would make it even more difficult if she was pregnant with his child, and Jet wanted to only offer her support and not put more stress on her. So, he decided that she would need to figure this out on her own, and if she wanted to talk, he would offer a supportive shoulder to lean on. Faye was considerably younger than him, and he viewed her like a daughter, which meant that he was protective of her as well. Same went for Spike, since Spike had always called him "dear old dad," and listened to what he had to offer for advice. 10 minutes passed, and everyone had shown up for breakfast. Everyone, except for Faye. Concerned that she should try to get some food and nourishment into her body, Jet walked upstairs towards Faye's room. To his surprise, she was fast asleep on her bed, holding a picture of Spike next to her face. Seeing her in such a vulnerable state, pulled at his heart strings. 'She still does love him… '

Deciding that she should try to eat something, he walked over gently to the side of her bed and lightly shook her shoulder. "Unnn, 5 more minutes Spike…" she mumbled in her slumber.

"It's Jet, Faye.."

Hearing a voice other than Spike's, she was stirred from her sleep. "Jet, what are you doing here?" She said lightly, almost in a whisper. Jet took in the sight before him:

She sounded tired for sure, but she also had a gentle glow to her. Her skin was shinier, her hair had more of a glisten to it, but the biggest change was in her stomach. Her once very flat tummy seemed to be a little less flat these days. It was more rounded than it had ever been. It was at that moment that Jet knew for sure…she was pregnant. Yet, he continued to keep his suspicions private. "Faye, I made breakfast, you should try some of it, it's not spicy at all."

Faye had never really liked spicy foods, and now he wanted to be extra careful to make any of his dishes safe for her consumption. Smiling at his thoughtfulness, she still wasn't sure about eating anything. "I don't know Jet…I'm just not very hungry lately" she said with a slight frown. Seeing the look of concern on Jet's face, she had decided that maybe trying to open-up about her concerns might help her feel a bit better. This realization surprised her as well, because she usually preferred to deal with issues in silence. In her mind though, the reality that she might be with child, was overwhelming, and she wasn't sure if she could do this alone anymore. Jet seemed genuinely interested in hearing her thoughts, and so she began to mention her recent changes. Her morning ritual of emptying her stomach contents, her lethargy, her rapidly changing emotions, and how her clothing was becoming snugger around her abdomen. After it was all said and done, Jet was in silent contemplation. A few seconds passed, and then Faye said, "I think that I should visit the doctor's…"

Jet, after a moment of silence, nodded in agreement, and then said, "breakfast is downstairs, I think you should eat some of it, it will be good for your health."

From there, he walked downstairs to resume his chores. This left Faye alone with her thoughts again. Getting up from her bed, she walked over to her full-length mirror and stared at her reflection. She had been so tired that she had thrown on one of Spike's old shirts, mainly because it was comfortable. This made her tear up a bit, and without thinking, she slowly lowered her hands down to her abdomen, lifting the shirt up. She stared at her abdomen, and noticed that it was rounder and, after gently prodding it with her fingers, noticed that her lower abdomen, where her uterus was, felt hard to the touch. Lately, she had been reading up on pregnancy due to her personal suspicions, and she was coming to understand that every feeling she was having, every change that was occurring, was only confirming that she was indeed going to be a mother. She was tired of wondering, so she decided to take the step towards finding out what has happening to her body. It was then that she picked up her phone, and called the local OBGYN, to schedule an appointment.

One week had passed since her doctor's appointment, and she had received the news that she had already known was true. Faye Valentine, the once irresponsible bounty hunting 'bitch,' was going to have a baby. Not just any baby, but the child of her departed Cowboy. This new piece of information had her a bit scared about what to expect but it also, secretly, brought tremendous joy to her heart. Oh, how it had been so long since she felt any ounce of joy in her heart. Even though Spike was gone, she was determined to bring his child into this world. She just needed to make sure her body could handle the pregnancy, which she was almost positive she could do this. She had never felt such determination in her life for anyone or anything. Knowing that a small life was growing inside of her tummy, created from the trials and tribulations of their love escapes, made her heart flutter and her smile grow wider as she contemplated everything. This baby was a miracle in disguise, and she would continue to believe this.

Naturally, Faye had decided it was best to let the Crew know the news. Ed was so excited to be an aunt to the new little tomato that Faye was growing inside of her, Ein barked a happy bark, and Jet gave Faye a proud embrace. The crew celebrated that evening, but decided to call it a night when Faye admitted she was feeling rather sleepy. As her pregnancy progressed and she was reaching her 5th month, Faye's tummy began to protrude more and more, and was considerably rounder. Despite the back pain, sore feet, and feeling like she was carrying a bowling ball under her shirt, she never complained. The old Faye would have complained, but this pregnancy was beginning to change the way that she thought. She was simply thankful she was going to be the mother to Spike's baby. Faye took it upon herself to purchase maternity clothing, because now she could no longer comfortably wear any of her old wardrobe. She also noticed that she always wanted to eat bigger portions of the food that Jet would make, not just because she liked the way it tasted, but because her baby seemed to demand her to eat more. She was gaining weight, but only around her abdomen and chest. The doctors were pleased with how adamant Faye was at keeping herself healthy. Faye noticed that she was beginning to enjoy new types of foods that had once repulsed her, and she craved for them quite often. Jet had noticed this as well, and always made sure to prepare extra food for the young mother-to-be. Her health and the health of the child was very important to him. Thinking to himself as he cooked, Jet thought about Spike and how happy he would be to see Faye pregnant. Spike, in secret, would sometimes joke with the old man about he could see himself fathering a child with her. If only Spike could see how mature and maternal Faye was, it would have made the cowboy proud. Jet knew that Spike would have made a great father…

His mind then began to drift to some of the observations that he had been making quite a bit recently. He noticed that she didn't crave for unhealthy foods like most women did during pregnancy. Faye wanted many different fruits, vegetables, yogurts, and she especially was always overjoyed to partake in bell peppers and beef with a healthy serving of sticky rice. Due to her pregnancy, Faye made sure to give up smoking and drinking, because he only could assume that the life of her and Spike's child, was too precious for her to be selfish and indulge in those bad habits anymore. Jet was never much of a smoker or drinker, and to see Faye completely drug free, made him smile. Also, she had never really liked bananas that much in the past, but now he noticed that she seemed to almost "need" to put a banana or two in her morning smoothies. Sometimes, he would ask her why she did this, and she would answer "It calms the baby," as she sipped on her smoothie in one hand and cradled her swollen belly with the other. This was a position he found Faye taking quite often, in which he would walk past her and see her stroking her belly, talking to the bump, and cradling the roundness of it with her hands (almost protecting the child from the outside world). 'She will be an amazing mother…,' though Jet on more than one occasion.

7 months pregnant, and Faye was feeling the effects of her pregnancy more and more each day. The further along she got in her pregnancy, the more she would choose to lay down and rest her sore body. The crew all understood, and didn't hassle her to do chores or to work. To them, she was pregnant with Spike's kid, and she needed to focus on making sure the kid was born safe. If Spike were around, he would be massaging her lower back per her requests, she thought. It would occur in only one room though. The location that she would frequent the most…Spike's room…

Faye walked into Spike's room once again, since she enjoyed the simplicity and quiet atmosphere of the room. She stood there, and looked around. Even though she was heavily pregnant with his child, she still took it upon herself to keep his room tidied. Some would call it a "nesting" type of mother-to-be behavior, but Faye just found herself more at ease in his room in general. She stepped towards his old wooden desk, and saw the picture that she would glance at every night as she visited his room. It was a picture of the two of them on a very romantic date, she was kissing his cheek, and he had his arms wrapped around her. Oddly enough, he had both hands on her abdomen, which always made her smirk, because the two of them would sometimes joke about her getting pregnant. This was the case now, and she smiled again while softly caressing the baby bump. 'If only he could see me now, very pregnant, with you…' she mused as she continued to rub the underside of her abdomen (which is where the most movement tended to be from her baby). Yes, Faye Valentine and the deceased cowboy had created a little boy together in their many lovemaking sessions. Her son kicked her tummy roughly, and she gasped. "You are just like your father, always giving me a hard time…But I would never want it any differently, honey," she whispered to her round abdomen. In the darkness of the room, there was still some light that shone in from the moonlight coming through the window. She could see the tiny movements of her son's feet and arms press against her belly…'he is such an active little fighter!' The longer she spent rubbing her baby bump, the more that she found that her motherly instincts were really starting to kick in full force. Over the course of her pregnancy, she had begun to feel more. Feelings of intense love and a fierce protectiveness toward the baby inside of her. The feelings sometimes scared her, because she had never thought that she could ever feel such love for anyone or anything. She had loved Spike very deeply, but this love for her unborn baby was on a whole new level. Feeling a bit tired, she looked over to the bed that used to be Spike's. She walked over to it slowly, and then gently lowered herself onto the bed. With a pregnant belly to contend with, she needed to be extra careful and mindful of the child's safety, especially now. Her baby only had 2 more months of gestation left, and she knew that her belly would only continue to grow as their baby grew. 'I hope I can do this…I will keep trying very hard to protect our child, even if it's going to kill me,' she thought. The thoughts scared her, how intense they were. She was sure she would do anything for her son, even die for him, if it meant that he was safely delivered. The thought of dying in childbirth sometimes crossed her mind, as she read it could happen to new mothers… these type of thoughts. Deciding that she needed to stop thinking of such dark thoughts, she relished in the soft feeling of Spike's blankets. They remained unwashed, so his scent still lingered on them full force. The blankets on his bed reminded her of the many nights that the two had spent together intimately. She put her head on his pillow and inhaled his scent. The smell of his cologne, cigarette smell, and aftershave, made her heart pound. Her baby even started kicking more, probably because his mother was excited. She rubbed gentle circles on her belly, and eventually succumbed to slumber.

Little did anyone know, there was a surprise in store for everyone..

…A long lost cowboy returns….

'I made it, finally,' the cowboy tirelessly groaned. He was bruised beyond belief and he had a badly injured arm to tend to, but he had survived! Now, he just needed to get back to the crew. 'I need to see her,' he practically cried out in frustration. His heart had been paining for her for almost 7 months, and he needed to feel her arms around him again. Her gentle kisses. Spike Spiegel needed this woman beyond belief.

He entered the Bebop. Not much had changed, it just looks a bit cleaner than usual. 'Interesting, since when does dear old dad clean?'

Feeling tired and a bit overwhelmed by the old surroundings, he needed some time to process everything. So, he headed straight to his room. This is where Spike found her. A heavily pregnant Faye snuggled up in his sheets and a hand draped protectively around her very round belly. Yes, Spike Spiegel, the one who we all have thought had passed away, has survived. No one knows that he has shown up at the bebop. Jet, Ein, and Ed were all out running errands, and Spike had finally been able to make it back to the Bebop, after many months of trying to find his way back home. That day he went to fight the syndicate, he did die. Or so he thought. Everyone had heard the news of his death, and they all thought he had died. His body had disappeared in space as the Bebop had floated away. The crew tirelessly had searched for him for days, but couldn't seem to find him. To the world, Spike Spiegel was gone. Spike had been unconscious, and so he didn't get to see the tears that were streaming down Faye's face as she spent endless days searching for him in her own ship. She hadn't wanted to believe he was gone, but eventually, she was forced to accept that he was gone as well. It broke her heart, but she knew she had to do this. The Bebop had never known he had survived. He had been kidnapped and imprisoned by the syndicate shortly after awakening, and just yesterday, he had awoken and annihilated all of them. There was no remorse for his actions, because killing them all was justified. They had kept him away from his family and from her. It was then, after making sure he cleaned up the syndicate for good, that he started his desperate journey back to the Bebop. He was now standing exhausted, in his room, and was speechless.

Words couldn't describe the cowboy's emotions at this very moment. Knowing that Faye had only chosen him as a lover, he knew that this child was his. He was in shock, and at a loss for words. Without really thinking, he started to walk slowly toward her sleeping frame. He glanced down at her, and a whirlwind of emotions hit him. 'She's been alone this entire time' and 'that baby of mine is huge,' he pondered in both amazement and in shame. In that moment, Spike felt like a complete ass. He needed to talk to her, but was fearful of waking her. Instead, he walked toward his restroom, cleaned himself up and tended to his wounds, then sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her sleeping frame. 'unnn, 5 more minutes Spike,' he heard her mumble in her sleep. Hearing those words made his heart skip a beat. 'Even though I've been gone for this long, she still dreams of me….' He snuggled closer to her, small tears of sadness and happiness streaming down his cheeks, and fell asleep with the love of his life in his arms (safe and secure). That night, Faye had the best sleep she had ever had in a long time. No to mention, Spike had finally come back to the only place he could call home: in the arms of the woman he loved beyond all else.

All she could feel was a familiar warmth enveloping her body, and it made her feel whole again. She must be dreaming, she thought. She slowly opened her eyes and was taken aback by the position she was in. She was being embraced by someone she knew. But, she knew exactly who this someone was. She turned around, granted a bit difficulty, and stared into the face of her long-lost cowboy. Faye thought she was looking at a ghost, and she screamed. Since no one was home, the only one woken up was Spike. "Shhhh, Faye," was all he could manage to say, since he felt like crying. Faye was in tears but also afraid that she was in the presence of a ghost. "Spike…h-how?!" she exclaimed in complete shock. Her lower lip was quivering and she started shaking. Seeing his wounds and bruises, she asked "Are you ok?!" He nodded in confirmation that everything was ok. Seeing her distraught form, he pulled her into his strong embrace and kissed her senseless. He held her as she continued to cry. Tears of joy, tears of shock, tears of sadness, and then the tears were no more. Spike was in tears as well. They both eventually stopped crying, and then just held each other as much as Faye's pregnant tummy would allow. So, he helped her switch to her other side, and he spooned her in a loving embrace and kissed the back of her ears while massaging her lower abdomen. The baby was kicking like crazy, and this made Faye tear up again, because she didn't even have to wait for him to feel the baby kick. Their son made sure that they BOTH knew about his existence. As they both reveled in the miracle that they had created, they laid together in silence. Spike was the first to speak. "You look beautiful, Faye." It was a simple sentence, but it had so much meaning to her. She rolled on her back and looked up to his face, he had moved to lean gently above her. "You must be around 7 months?" He asked as he rubbed tiny circles on her belly. The belly massage she was receiving was relaxing her so much, and she felt like her dreams had come true. "Yes, I am, you should know you are going to have a son," she mentioned lovingly. The look on Spike's face was enough to bring more tears to her eyes, because he couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you, love," he said as he lifted her shirt and placed a gentle kiss on her burgeoning belly. "He is a big, healthy, baby boy, you don't understand how much of a gift you both are to me," said Spike. With that being said, the two kissed passionately and spent the remainder of the evening together (catching up on the pregnancy, missed bounties, what Spike had went through, and what they wanted to name their son).

They had decided on the name Keanu. It was a masculine name, but also sounded soft when spoken. They both felt that it was nice on the ears, and that it would fit their baby boy perfectly.

The next day, Spike reunited with the crew. Everyone was in complete shock, but they also were thankful to have the missing member of their family back. Not to mention, Jet was happy that the father of Faye's son was here; alive and well. Spike had shown that he 100% wanted this child, and helped Faye out as she continued to progress towards the final stages of her pregnancy. She felt huge, and her back was always in pain, in which she still didn't complain about the pain. Spike, being very perceptive to her needs, knew that she could use a good back rub, and he would always massage her body happily. The result would be a sleeping Faye laying on her back, belly rounder than ever, with a hand draped over the massive expanse of baby bump. Not to mention, her head would end up laying gently in his lap each time. He would then lay down next to her, after gently putting her head on the soft pillow, and hug her while softly stroking her abdomen.

Jet smiled as he walked by Spike's room, seeing the two sleeping soundly. Faye had the most content smile on her face, as did Spike. He knew that they would both be amazing parents, and he secretly was excited for the new addition on the Bebop. Now that Spike was back, Faye didn't need to be alone to give birth to the baby. Jet was initially worried because this child was massive, and he wasn't sure if Faye's delicate frame could handle the size of the child. Knowing that Spike would be there with Faye, he was beginning to feel better about her impending labor.

Faye was 9 months pregnant and helping the team research bounties safely from inside the Bebop, when she felt a strong contraction pain. Being a new mother, she had never known how strong the pain would be. She grabbed her pregnant belly, and slowly slid down to the ground, after having had to lean her back against a wall. "SPIKE!" she cried out in pain.

Spike was there instantly, but their son wanted to enter the world quickly, so Faye didn't have time to get to the hospital. After 9 hours of labor, on the bebop, the crew welcomed their baby boy Keanu to the world. The baby cried and then, after cutting the umbilical cord, Spike handed their son to Faye. Instantly, Faye knew her baby boy wanted to eat. So, she began to breast feed her child. The feelings she had towards this baby were so strong it terrified her. Spike noticed how much love she was displaying towards their son, and it made him proud. 'She is the perfect mother for my son,' he thought.

Life on the Bebop was different now. A good different, because of the new baby that Faye had given birth to, as well as their relationship going back to the way it was before he was "dead."

The Bebop had new little bounty hunter to train, or did they? You'll never know!

Dekimashitta!


End file.
